Pyracantha coccinea (scarlet firethorn).

Pyracantha coccinea is a thorny shrub, native to southern Europe and western Asia, which has been widely introduced, primarily as an ornamental plant. It is of some concern due to its potential effects on natural habitats and its being a potential reservoir of the fruit-tree pathogen Erwinia amylovora, but is has only been recorded as invasive in a small number of countries, and in most of these sources differ as to how invasive it is.

Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Total Phenolic Compounds Content and Antioxidant Activity of Indigenous Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem. Fruits

Scarlet/red firethorn, Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem., is a common ornamental shrub, commonly cultivated nowadays in Romania and many other countries, in gardens or hedges. The tree has small white flowers and it produces small bright colored berries. The fruit is bitter and astringent, making it inedible when raw. The fruit can be cooked to make jellies, jams, sauces and marmalade. In this study, the Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem fruits from three common cultivars named �Orange Glow�, �Red Column� and �Soleil d�Or�, were collected from different individuals in Constanta city, Romania. Both frozen and dried (80�C) fruits were analyzed for the active principles content such as, carotenoids, flavonoids and total phenolic compounds correlated with antioxidant activity. Carotenoids were determined by acetone extraction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, flavonoids, by methanol extraction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry and total phenolic, by methanol extraction, Folin-Ciocalteu reaction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The total antioxidant capacity was quantified through photochemiluminescence method by comparison with the standard substance used for calibration, Trolox� as tocopherol analogue (ACL procedure) using Photochem apparatus, Analytik Jena AG, Germany. The average carotenoid content in fresh frozen fruits ranged between 278-545 mg/kg (dry weight equivalent), while in dry material 133-203 mg/kg. Total flavonoids averaged 1415-4953 mg/kg in fresh fruits, increasing after heat-drying to 2981-5759 mg/kg. Fresh fruits contained a total amount of phenolic compounds of 11501-21107 mg/kg DW gallic acid equivalent, while dry fruits averaged 5749-8261 mg/kg GAE. Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem. fruits emphasized an increased antioxidant activity correlated with a high content of potentially bioactive compounds, especially of phenolic compounds, both in frozen and heat-dried state. �Red Column� and �Orange Glow� are the most promising varieties of the three cultivars, for potential pharmaceutical applications.

Пропозиції щодо реконструкції парку села Піківець Уманського району

Парк у с. Піківець Уманського району Черкаської області було закладено у 50-60-х роках ХХ ст. у центрі села, а саме біля сільського клубу. Насамперед потрібно провести санітарне рубання та обрізування дерев. Пропонуємо підсіяти мавританський газон, а в місці, де зростає пирій повзучий (Elytrigia repens L.), повністю замінити травостій на газон. Згідно з проектом розширюється стежкова мережа. Запропоновано створення доріжок з бетонної тротуарної плитки завширшки 0,75 та 1,5 м. Деякі стежки виконуватимуть транзитну роль, а деякі сполучатимуть окремі елементи парку. З малих архітектурних форм у парку встановлюємо альтанку для відпочинку. Також запропоновано збільшити кількість лавок, додавши дугоподібну лавку на круглому майданчику, у центрі якого розміщуватиметься клумба. Позаду кругової лавки, у північно-східній частині парку запроектовано створення декоративної групи з кущів. Асортимент рослин для цієї групи включає: Berberis thunbergii DC, Forsythia europaea Deg. et Bald., Pyracantha coccinea (L.) M. Roem, Syringa vulgaris L., Cotoneaster horizontalis Decne. Для клумб використовуємо цибулькові ранньоквітучі види, а також переважно тіньовитривалі багаторічники. Рекомендуємо створити мавританський газон, до складу якого входять: костриця червона (Festuca rubra L.), райграс пасовищний (Lolium perenne L.), тонконіг лучний (Poa pratensis L.), мак польовий (Papaver rhoeas L.), льон великоквітковий (Linum grandiflorum Desf.), ромашка лікарська (Matricaria recutita L.), низькорослі сорти космеї (Cosmos Cav.), чорнобривці мексиканські (Tagetes tenuifolia Сav.), гіпсофіла повзуча (Gypsophila muralis L.), гіпсофіла витончена (Gypsophila elegans M. Bieb.).

Micropropagation of Pyracantha coccinea

Pyracantha coccinea is a thorny evergreen shrub native to southeast Europe to southeast Asia. It is a popular ornamental plant because of its showy bright red fruits and small white flowers. However, in vitro vegetative propagation of P. coccinea has not been studied. Nodal segments with one or two axillary buds (1 to 1.5 cm in length) were cut and disinfected in a solution of 0.1% (v/v) mercuric chloride (HgCl2) for 5 minutes, and proliferated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with various concentrations 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA). After 4 weeks, newly formed shoots were transferred to proliferation and rooting media containing various concentrations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Establishment of axillary buds was significantly better with an establishing rate of 67% on basal MS medium augmented with 6.6 µm 6-BA. The best medium for proliferation of shoots was three-fourth basal MS supplemented with 1.5 µm IBA, with a proliferation rate of 3.4 axillary bud. The optimum rooting medium was one-fourth MS basal medium containing 93 µm IBA. Rooting of shoots was as much as 77%. Rooted plantlets were transferred to pots containing vermiculite:perlite:peat (6:1:2) and acclimatized to ambient greenhouse conditions with a 95% survival rate. This protocol can be used for in vitro propagation of P. coccinea.